GOOD Music Cruel Summer 2xLP clear vinyl record sealed kanye west

$

40

Record is brand new and has never been played.  
The GOOD Music General and self-described “god of rap,” otherwise known as Kanye West, has experienced far more scrutiny than any of his musical peers. He’s been labeled as “arrogant,” as an “asshole” and, most famously, as a “jackass” by our nation’s president — twice. These labels unfairly stem from the few times he acted a fool on national television, which apparently gave us the right to toss words around like we actually know Kanye West. But we don’t. What we do know, what is undeniably true, is the fact that he makes excellent music. And this time around, West has assembled his very own troops, along with some close allies, to string together Cruel Summer, a collaborative album by the members of West’s record label, GOOD Music.
GOOD Music is a star-studded crew of musicians, including names such as Kid Cudi, Big Sean, Common and John Legend. Also on the roster are Pusha T, Mr. Hudson, Teyana Taylor and Hit-Boy, among others.
GOOD Music: rap’s dream team, where each person plays a position. Kanye, the mastermind executive producer. Big Sean, the playful wordsmith. Common, the OG emcee. John Legend, the soulful singer. Pusha T, the roughneck lyricist. Hit-Boy, the protege producer. And so on.
With a lineup like that, Cruel Summer is primed to be great. But instead, CS is only, dare it be said, pretty good. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Expectations are much too high when it comes to the quality of music Kanye puts out nowadays. He’s set the bar drastically high with classic albums such as The College Dropout, Graduation and his collabo with Jay-Z, Watch The Throne. So, sure, Cruel Summer is a bit underwhelming in comparison.
Songs like “Don’t Like (Remix)” and “Sin City” don’t belong. Guest appearances from non-GOOD Music affiliates, such as DJ Khaled, Ma$e and Marsha Ambrosius, are head-scratchers. Certain weapons aren’t used to their full force. For example, Kid Cudi, a melodic sidekick to any track, barely appears on this record. Common, too. He literally spits half a verse, never to be heard from again. Rapper 2 Chainz, on the other hand, who isn’t even officially signed with GOOD, can be heard on three different songs. Even singer-songwriter James Fauntelroy makes three un-credited appearances.
Aside from these miniscule details, Cruel Summer has some quality joints.
Right off the bat, the project kicks into gear with “Into The World,” an uplifting opener in which R. Kelly encourages you to “put your middle fingers up to the world” before Kanye steps in, boasting and throwing whimsical jabs at Mitt Romney (“Mitt Romney don’t pay no tax”). The first single, “Mercy” featuring Ye, Pusha T, Big Sean and 2 Chainz, received massive radio play around the country and especially in the Windy, despite its unconventional sample and production. The “street” single “Cold” (originally titled “Theraflu” until the folks at Theraflu were like “No, Kanye”) even managed to make a splash.
“The Morning” is the first time we hear GOOD Music’s D’Banj on a record with his cohorts. The Nigerian-born singer-songwriter lays down reggae-inspired vocals that do not disappoint. Wu-Tang’s Raekwon, sometimes known as The Chef, then comes barreling through describing him and his peers as “the Mark Zuckerbergs of the block.”
Hit-Boy lends a spooky beat on “Higher,” where The-Dream handles the chorus auto-tune style and Pusha T and Ma$e each kick a verse. Ma$e, who’s seemingly been in hiding for years, surprises with quite possibly the most memorable line on Cruel Summer, when he describes running into an old label mate: “I bumped into Loon he like, ‘Well, as-salamu alaykum’/You know I ain’t Muslim my n****, I’m about my bacon.”
Kid Cudi’s “Creepers” — his only contribution other than repeating one line on “The Morning” — is a definite classic Cudder song, but it doesn’t fit with the demeanor of of the album. We do find out, however, that if Cudi had one wish, he’d wish for more, you know, more wishes. “Duhhhh,” he sings.
Cruel Summer is made up of mostly well-crafted songs, but it doesn’t feel like the album you’d expect. Maybe it’s just the cold weather, but the summer doesn’t seem particularly cruel at this point.
Verdict: Better than any other rap crew compilation album. Despite the hype, sounds nothing like a Kanye solo record.
–Kyle Nowaczyk
______________________________________________________ All records are shipped in record-specific boxes with bubble wrap.
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